A fairly ordinary girl with an extraordinary love of life and words. I really can’t shut my brain off to what is wonderful and wonderous all around me. Friendly (most of the time), except at four in the morning when I wake up (and even then I’m generally affable), intensely curious, and trying to find a home for my YA novel. Any questions or just want to say ‘hi’ go ahead and drop me a note at heatherzundel [at] gmail [dot] com. I’d love hearing from you.

Followers

Current Theme Song (aka what song is playing on my ipod right now): Song of Hope by Becky Taylor.

I loved celebrating Hobbit's Day last week (who doesn't? I mean, it involved food). What I did not realize was that it was the 75th anniversary of its publication. And that deserves some extra special attention. I am not the only one who thinks so, either. In London, they had a recreation of Hobbiton for a day, and Andy Serkis came to read from the book itself in Gollum's voice. !!! I have met him, and he is an utterly fantastic person and so gracious. I would have loved to be there. Hobbit feet? Oh, you know I would have worn them. :)

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Vilse i Betlandet (Lost in the Sugar Beet Field) by Väsen.

There is a book (a fantasy book, which makes me squee out in all kinds of ways) that I have been hearing a lot about lately, namely saying it is utterly fantastic. And with a Russia-mirrored bitter cold setting, thus taking us far away from the typical medieval Western fantasy trope, you know I am going to be all over this.

So, as I was perusing the internet in all glorious things related to this book, I came across three different covers. And so of course, I started analyzing them together. Because I guess it is a hobby of mine.

Cover A (US)

On first glance it seems like a basic cover, but the allusions to Russia are unmistakable and the strongest out of all the three covers. This is actually one of the biggest selling points for me, because it tells me this is not the typical fantasy I'm used to, and anything different has the potential be very good indeed. The color palette were masterfully done and chosen. Nothing clashes and everything feels like a cohesive whole. The cracked texture could either be for a worn look or to mimic ice, and they are both great stylistic choices.

I keep seeing images of a white stag in fanart, so I am pretty darn sure it is important to the story. And look! Here are white antlers here for us.

And notice the black swirls along with the typography, a bit reminiscent of smoke. Black and white. Shadow and Bone. I see what you're doing here. Tricksy graphic designers. :) Also, the dark ribbon/shadows at the bottom of the book feel like something is rising up, reaching or following them, which imperceptibly adds a taste of foreboding that unless you are looking, you might not even consciously see at all. Overall, this one is my favorite.

Cover B (UK. Notice the title change)

I love the gold border around the cover. It is quiet (it doesn't really attract attention to itself) and it frames Alina well. And did you catch the allusion to Russia woven in throughout? It took me a second to realize it, even staring at it.

Very clever.

Yet I could find no place where a white stag could be hidden.

I really like her cloak. Purely personal, but hey, it drew me in and that is exactly the effect they want. I also love how there are blurred branches in front of her, giving both depth to the image and also an ominous feeling that is matched by her posture and expression. Just what exactly is making her turn so?

Her expression is not my favorite though.

The snow works to great effect in the cover, as well as the stretching of the forest to a place we can't see. Ominous. And did you notice the twilight feel to the cover? Pair that with the UK title? Ooooooooo…. :)

I will say that the logline (the little hook they put on book covers sometimes to draw you in) does nothing for me. The UK version is the only one that has one and I am glad my copy does not have it. It would have actually been a turn off for me. It is so dramatic and has been done to death. I wanted to read about Alina's adventure, and if love happens to spring itself in there for me, fantastic. But let me discover it for myself. It was not the draw for me for this book.

Cover C (Germany)

I love the use of watercolors here in the German version. The bleeding effect makes it feel both otherworldly and (to me at least) as if her own future is uncertain, adding to the emotional depth. The pale background lends well to the icy setting, almost like a white out effect in a storm.

Her dark hair is a very interesting contrast to the UK's golden beauty. This could just be cultural/visual preferences, though I am now curious to see if Alina's hair color is ever named in the book. Another reason why a non-character cover can work to the book's advantage. It lets the reader create their own character in their mind. (And is one reason I suspect The Hunger Games series has been doing so well across both genders, as well as almost every age group). You can also see the stag represented here, which leads me to believe it does play a significant role in the story.

Ah, it is such fun to really look at the books we are reading! Do you have a favorite?

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): No Light, No Light by Florence + The Machine.

Gearing up for The Hobbit like I am? And since tomorrow IS Hobbit Day (seriously, it's awesome. Celebrate with Elevensies ^_^) there is no way I wasn't doing a Lord of the Rings themed video. So why not a cool action-y sequence full of daring and danger (sadly, LOTR is a little lacking in the romance category), and why not do it with Legos to boot? I say win all around. :) Here is a condensed version of Helm's Deep, complete with explosions. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): The Future Has Arrived by All-American Rejects [Meet the Robinsons soundtrack].

Because contests are awesome, right? Especially when it includes unreleased ARCs. *rubs hands gleefully*

Do any of these fine beauties catch your eye?

Pick any one you like. And if there are enough entries, I will more than one winner. So you may want to tell your friends. Better chances of winning. :)

I'm not one for big hoopla, so all you need to do is be a follower and leave a comment below (I don't even mind if it is nonsensical, like say, "I love bacon cupcakes!" Though that does actually make sense. So you could write "khjensalyj ib albuhar" and it would be all good. Or in code. Code is cool.) :) Leaving an email address helps out a GREAT deal in being able to get back to you, though I will try and dig around on your website/blog for one if 1). you have one and 2). you didn't leave an email address. Because if I can't get a hold of you, I send it on to the next lovely winner. ^_^

You have until Sept 30th 11:59 Pacific Time. :D (US only. Sorry guys. But my international PALACE OF STONE giveaway is going on for 2 more days!).

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Ancient Stones by Jeremy Soule [Skyrim soundtrack].

The
idea of Monday's Muse is to introduce you to unknown, forgotten, or
overlooked fiction that has been lost from regular radar. I am
WriterGirl. I am in the business of saving lives, one book at a time.

What
I do is go to one of several places, narrow it down to a YA field and
type in a random word, any word that comes to mind. I then take a
sampling of some I have never heard of before, or only vaguely heard of
(and hopefully you as well). No infringement is intended for any
description I take for the books. It's purely for promotional reasons. I
will try and cover as many genres as possible that are fitting for the
random word. Simple but it really uncovers some incredible gems. I will
be doing this every other Monday. If there are any words you want to
prompt me with, go ahead and fire away.

Today's random word:Replacements

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang.

An unsettling dystopian adventure of two souls trapped in a single body.
Like all children, Addie and Eva were born as two souls in the same
body. As young children, the two personalities were both loved and
indulged by their parents, but, unlike all the other children, Addie and
Eva didn't "settle." In settling, the dominant soul takes over the
single body and the recessive soul fades away. Children who don't settle
are labeled hybrids and institutionalized. At age 6, Addie and Eva
started seeing specialists to hasten the settling process, but the years
of treatments have been unsuccessful. To hide their shame, Addie takes
the dominant role and Eva becomes invisible to the outside world,
thereby convincing society that they are not a hybrid. However, when an
experiment with their classmates goes wrong, Addie/Eva find themselves
institutionalized and wrestling with what it means to have a voice.
Brackets within the text differentiate Addie's external communication
and Eva's internal dialogue with Addie, helping to clarify who is
speaking when. Worldbuilding is a little on the thin side, but Addie and
Eva's emotions are more than enough to carry readers along. A
thought-provoking first installment in a series that unflinchingly takes
on ethically challenging topics.--Kirkus (August 1, 2012).

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst.

When a summoning goes awry, Liyana must try to save her people and learn
how to live for herself, in this sweeping adventure. Chosen as a
"vessel" to host the Goat Clan's goddess, Bayla, and abandoned when
Bayla doesn't come, Liyana finds herself alone in the desert. Korbyn,
god of the Raven Clan, rescues Liyana and provides her with a purpose:
find the four other vessels who are also missing deities. Soon, Liyana
and Korbyn pick up stalwart Fennik (horse god Sendar), princess-y Pia
(silk goddess Oyri) and angry Raan (scorpion goddess Maara). Besides the
desert's many dangers, the ragtag group faces the massed army of the
Crescent Empire, led by a young Emperor and his malicious magician,
Mulaf. The tribes need their gods to save them from illness, starvation
and drought, but the gods need to possess vessels to work magic--an
arrangement whose logic several characters begin to question. Liyana is
self-sacrificing but not a saint; stubborn, loyal, and curious, she
finds new reasons to live even as she faces death. Durst offers a
meditation on leadership and power and a vivid story set outside the
typical Western European fantasy milieu. From the gripping first line, a
fast-paced, thought-provoking and stirring story of sacrifice.--Kirkus (July 15, 2012).

Dualed by Elsie Chapman.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. West
Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her
assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her
Alt. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life. But
then a tragic misstep shakes West's confidence. Stricken with grief and
guilt, she's no longer certain that she's the best version of herself,
the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning,
she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . .
though both have the power to destroy her.
Elsie Chapman's suspenseful debut
weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and
thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will
begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and
every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna.

Fifteen-year-old Eva is the ultimate insurance policy: she's an echo,
created by the "Weavers" to be an exact replica of her original, an
Indian girl named Amarra. Eva's entire life has been dedicated to
studying Amarra's life; should Amarra die, Eva will replace her, with
only Amarra's family the wiser. Shortly after Eva and Amarra turn 16,
Eva is ripped from everything and everyone she holds dear to move from
England to India, where echoes are illegal, to fulfill her purpose.
Mandanna's debut novel is lovely and at times heartbreaking, though
there are some hiccups with her premise. Given the danger surrounding
the discovery of an echo, Eva's upbringing doesn't seem nearly strict
enough, her exposure to British culture and slang only opening the door
for potential slipups (it's similarly puzzling why the Weavers would
brand echoes with an identifying mark in a fairly visible spot on their
bodies). But the novel rises above these and other illogical moments,
offering a thoughtful study of both a girl's search for her identity and
the human reaction to death. Ages 13–up. Agent: Melissa Sarver,
Elizabeth Kaplan Agency. --Publisher's Weekly (August 20, 2012).

Doppelganger by David Stahler.

What makes someone a monster–actions or instincts? In this story, a
doppelganger is a shape-shifter that kills its victims, claims their
identity, and takes over their lives from a month up to a year. When
high school jock Chris Parker attacks a helpless old man by the tracks,
he makes a fatal error. The doppelganger that takes his place is a
different person. As this Chris Parker learns about the family he is
living with, he begins to ask some probing questions–does being a
monster mean hitting your family, ignoring abuse, or accepting it? If
such behavior is instinctual, does that make it acceptable? As the teen
embraces his current form and falls for the deceased Chris’s girlfriend,
he chooses to do something about the monsters around him. Can love make
a difference in life–even if you are a monster? Does everyone deserve a
second chance? This is a compelling horror story about making choices
and the difference that certain decisions can make in life.--June H.
Keuhn, Corning East High School, NY, School Library Journal (June 1,
2006 vol 52, issue 6, p166).

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.

Mackie Doyle is not one of us.
Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of
tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a
little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement-left in the crib of a
human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron,
blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the
human world.

Mackie would give anything to
live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush,
Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn
irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face
the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in
our world, or theirs.

Edward Scissorhands meets The Catcher in the Rye in this wildly imaginative and frighteningly beautiful horror novel about an unusual boy and his search for a place to belong.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Mai Piu Serena by Emma Shapplin.

So I was so torn about whether to offer up a giveaway for some sweet ARCs or do another post. And so obsessed I became that I ran out of time entirely. So instead you get - BABY ANIMALS! And not just some baby kittens or puppies, oh no. Not for my readers. You get tiny otters. Plural. It may explode my heart.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg.

"Also, if anything goes wrong, or if anything scares you while I'm gone, I want you to find Captain Lucio, Hector's second-in-command, and do exactly what he says. He will help you. If you can't find Lucio, go to Matteo. He's with Queen Cosme's delegation in the ambassadors' apartments."

His wide eyes gleam in the dark. "I promise."

I don't want to frighten him, but this is important. So I ask, "Who did just say to find if something goes wrong?"

"Captain Lucio or Matteo."

"That's my boy." I pull the quilt up over his small shoulders. "How about you sleep here tonight?"

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): City of Rome by Jesper Kyd [Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood soundtrack].

"And you, my queen, need to get some rest. Full schedule tomorrow."

I stand. On impulse, I wrap my arms around her. She freezes for a split second, but then she returns my embrace. "Thank you," I whisper.

After I creep back to bed and blow out my candle, my thoughts are still too busy, my skin too warm, for easy sleep. It's terrifying to consider that I might someday share a bed with a man who is a stranger, a calculated alliance, someone who might not care for me at all.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Lights by James Carrington [Rescue Dawn soundtrack].

Continuing my giddy joy in the Crown of Embers countdown.

"Oh, Mara, I do. I love everything about him. I love that he cares so much about honor and duty. I love how, when he's working hardest to mask his feelings, they're actually leaking out all over the place. I love the way his hair curls when it gets wet, his slightly crooked smile, the way he smells. When he laughs, I feel it in my toes." I let my forehead drop onto her shoulder. "I sound like an idiot."

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Into the Fire by Thirteen Senses.

I am so excited for this book's release next week. I loved the first book - the strength of the writing, the characters, the setting, and just about everything, and this one had me dancing in giddy circles around the room. What book is it? It is the Morris Award finalist Rae Carson's Crown of Embers. I'm grinning just writing those words. If you haven't read the first one, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, get on that post haste because Crown of Embers is so worth buying on release day and you don't want you to miss out. Trust me.

So all this week leading up to its release next Tuesday, I will be giving you teasers straight from the book (ARC). I tried super hard to make sure there are no spoilers in them. There were a couple I REALLY wanted to post, but oh boy, would there be spoilers there. *thinks about them* *dies* I will properly geek out on release day. So every day I normally post, you will be getting at least one teaser from this ohmygoodnessgreat book. But that doesn't mean that is the only one you'll be getting. ;) Keep an eye out because this is going to be fun.

Current Theme Song (aka what's playing on my ipod right now): Shield of Faith by The Immediate.

The
idea of Monday's Muse is to introduce you to unknown, forgotten, or
overlooked fiction that has been lost from regular radar. I am
WriterGirl. I am in the business of saving lives, one book at a time.

What
I do is go to one of several places, narrow it down to a YA field and
type in a random word, any word that comes to mind. I then take a
sampling of some I have never heard of before, or only vaguely heard of
(and hopefully you as well). No infringement is intended for any
description I take for the books. It's purely for promotional reasons. I
will try and cover as many genres as possible that are fitting for the
random word. Simple but it really uncovers some incredible gems. I will
be doing this every other Monday. If there are any words you want to
prompt me with, go ahead and fire away.

Today's random word:Nine Lives

The Chrestomanci Chronicles by Diana Wynne Jones.

In this multiple parallel universes of the Twelve Related Worlds, only
an enchanter with nine lives is powerful enough to control the rampant
misuse of magic--and to hold the title Chrestomanci...

The Chants
are a family strong in magic, but neither Christopher Chant nor Cat
Chant can work even the simplest of spells. Who could have dreamed that
both Christopher and Cat were born with nine lives--or that they could
lose them so quickly?

Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Braswell.

Chloe King is a normal girl. She goes to class (most of the time),
fights with her mom, and crushes on a boy…or two. But around her
sixteenth birthday, Chloe finds that perhaps she isn’t so normal after
all. There’s the heightened night vision, the super fast reflexes – oh,
and the claws.

As she discovers who she is – and where she comes from – it is clear she is not alone. And someone is trying to get her.

Chloe has nine lives. But will nine be enough?

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie.

Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she
twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s
twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able
to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying
to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting
away. To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives.
Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to
live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when
Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling
realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she
really only ever had one.